Electric furnace for the refining of zinc or other volatile metals



. Fea. 1f( @-925t f' R VOLATILE METALS Hmmm; o? ZINC 0R @THE ELECTRICFUENACZ EGR THE Filed Sept.

PatentedFeb. 10, 192g.

. LSE-5,7%

UNiTEDsTAITEs PAT-Eur orties.

`FILIP THBAIQDEN, Ol? CHRXSTIANIA., N OBWAY.

nnncrnrc summon non. 'cnn nnrmmor zinc on orne-n votante Marlins.

-. application med september as, 1922. seran 110.590,43'

To all 'whom z5-may concern.-

- Metals,

1 3e Vit known that I, Finir THnRALn-SN, a citizen of- Norway, residingat Christiania, Norway, have invented certain new. and usefulImprovements in Electric Furnaces for the Refining of -Zinc -or Other.Volatile of which the following. is a specication.

In the refining of volatile metals, more especially zinc, bydistillation by means of electric heating, the distillation chamber,where electric energy isLs'upplied, generally communicates t rough anopening or channel with a special reservoir where the materials to berefined are melted. Dur` ing the operation'the channel or opening isfilled with the bath of molten metal-staying I fresh materials forrefining successively as the operation is going on.

This arrangement involves certain inconveniences if 1t is used in therefining of materials -with varying contents of extra neous metals, forinstance as well ordinary spelter as aine alloys.

Generally the temperature required to distil the volatile metal, forinstance, zinc, will increase with' increasing quantities' of exftraneous metals present. The heat from the distillation chamber will betransmitted to the melting chamber Aand the temperature in the latterwill risc to the temperature prevailing in the distillation chamber.

issA the temperature in the latter must be kept' very high so muchheatis transmitted to the melting chamberkthat the metal here will alsobegin to vaporize, which is very undesirable for the attendance of thcfurnace, and at the same time. may involve loss of metal.

. This diiiiculty is obviated by the presentl invention whichprovidesregulation of the transverse section of. the channel or'openingconnectin the distillation chamber and the melting c amber 'While theoperation vis going on. If an alloy is treated which reuir's hightemperature n-the distillation gharber tof'drive'ol the zinc, thevtransmission of heat to the melting chamber can be regulated by asuitable regulation of the size of the connecting opening so that thetransmission of heat is maintained so low that no vaporization of metaltakes place in the melting chamber, and on the other hand the heat issufficient to secure an easy melting of the material to the fluid state.

It is easily understood that by such regu- 66 lation it is possible torene the most different materials in the same furnace simply byregulating the transmission et heat to the melting chamber according tethe composition and nature of the material.

The regulation can be eifected in diliferent ways. The device. indicatedon the annexcd drawing may for instance be used.

.The drawing shows a vertical longitudinal section through a refiningfurnace. -a-

designates 'the distillation chamber, which through the opening orchannel -bcommunicates with the melting chamber. -c-. In the meltingchamber before the opening -b-, is sus ended the plate or register 80-dwhich y suitable arrangements can be raised or'lowered," therebycovering the opening more or less.f In the open melting chambershitherto used for the refining o erations in question, an oxldation ofmeta takes place o'n the Y surface in the melting chamber causing aformation ot greater .or smallerl quantities of zinc ashes as alay-product.

To avoid this the melting chamberis 90 according to theinvention-covered or arched, and the opening through which the materialsare introduced, is provided with a door or some other closing devicepreferably with a packing to make it as airtight aspossible. In this waythe access ot -air to the metal surface in the melting chainber islimited to the short moments when the chamber is opened just for theintroduction of fresh materials, and the time neces- 10o sary hereforcan by suitable arrangements be reduced to a minimum. In the drawing'the melting chamber -`-c is covered, an

the charge opening -e is provided with a tight-iittingrdoor.` The slotin the roof of the melting chamber .through which the regulation chainfor the' revister -dfis passing, can also, if desired, De made 4tight bysuitable packing.

Havn now declare t at what I claim is 1. An electric 'furnaceerhreiningzinc described my invention 1,1-10

` or other rolatile metals comprisin a meltingchamber, a. distillationcham erj comtion of said op operation fr'eontrolling the temperature inber.

` lol l comprising tion 'chamber 4'through an opening, a register atfing, and means to raise and lower chanibe an opening said lng duringthe refining r communicati and an a justable 'opening adapted to be`disp regulate the transverse aced to section of the operation. 3. nelectric furnace for refining zinc chamber,

a melting communicating therewith said openthe regopen-4 memos theopening duringl the refining operation.

n electric furnace for relininr zinc comprisinga covered-,melting chamr, aVH

distillation Y chamber comnninicating there.- with through an iiinfrandmeans for D lem tin cham l :regulating lthe transverse section ofsaid 2. jieictricfurnace for refining zinc comprising-a melting chamber,a distillation. U therewith through re ister at.

opening during the refining operation to control the temperatures ofthechambers. 5. ,A nelectrie furnace for chambera passage connecting thechambers regulated.

refining znc d comprising a melting chamber, a distillation 35v Inwitness n'llereofl affix my signature.

. Finir THARALDSEN.

